Fake driving licences offered online for £600

Scammers on social media who declare to work for the Driver and Automobile Licensing Company are promoting “full driving licences” for £600, a BBC Information investigation has discovered.

They declare to have inside entry to driving take a look at centres which permits them to ebook and move sensible driving assessments with out purchasers being current.

The Driver and Automobile Requirements Company – which has accountability for driving assessments – mentioned that was not attainable.

They’re money-making scams, it mentioned.

It’s unlawful to drive and not using a legitimate licence. The punishment for doing so features a high-quality of as much as £1,000, as much as six factors in your licence and a attainable disqualification.

The licence distributors declare to produce their purchasers with a plastic licence card and take a look at certificates at their house tackle.

Additionally they ship purchasers a picture of what seems to be their up to date driving licence standing as proven on the Driver and Automobile Licensing Company’s (DVLA) “view your licence” webpage.

The consumer’s driving standing reads “full driving licence”, which suggests they’re on the DVLA database as registered to drive – regardless of having paid for their licence as a substitute of taking and passing a driving take a look at.

‘Not real’

BBC Information has found that these pictures are fraudulent mock-ups of the DVLA’s “view your licence” webpage and that the licence numbers purchasers are issued with should not on the company’s database.

The BBC despatched the examples of the licences to the DVLA.

In response, the DVLA mentioned: “Solely DVLA can subject a driving licence. We are able to affirm that the examples seen should not real.”

The licence distributors promote their service on social media platforms equivalent to Instagram, however urge any potential purchasers to message them privately on WhatsApp.

BBC Information has acquired screenshots of textual content messages between purchasers and the licence distributors.

They present the seller asking for private particulars such because the consumer’s tackle, date of delivery and a passport picture – info the vendor says is required to subject a licence.

Textual content messages seen by the BBC additionally present the licence vendor discussing funds along with his purchasers and them thanking him for his service.

To search out out extra about how the scammers function, BBC Information despatched textual content messages to a vendor posing as a possible consumer. The seller is requested if the DVLA would discover out however is assured they would not as a result of “we [the vendors] work for DVLA”.

In a cellphone name with the BBC, which was covertly recorded, the seller went into extra element about how the fraud is carried out.

“We often ebook your take a look at for you and move it with out you truly being there however it’s gonna appear like you have been there” he mentioned.

“If you happen to do wanna go forward, I am going to want your full identify and provisional licence quantity.”

The seller recommended he was in a position to cheat the driving take a look at and move folks with out them being current, permitting them to have their licence up to date to a “full driving licence”.

He additionally instructed the BBC he may begin the method that very same day and every little thing can be accomplished in “5 to seven days”.

‘Cash-making scams’

In an announcement responding to the BBC’s investigation, the DVLA mentioned: “We’re conscious of those presents and are investigating related claims.

“We’ve up to now discovered no proof to counsel these claims are true or something greater than money-making scams.”

Scarlett (not her actual identify) tried to accumulate a driving licence from the seller.

She instructed the BBC she got here throughout his account on Instagram and “paid £500 for him to move my driving take a look at”.

Scarlett says that regardless of having paid the seller, all she acquired was a picture of her licence particulars.

“I checked the [licence] particulars he despatched me however it was all faux,” she says. “I by no means acquired no licence simply that image.

“If you happen to’ve discovered him, are you able to get my a reimbursement? I would like my a reimbursement.”

BBC Information has learnt of a number of others, like Scarlett, who’ve tried to accumulate a driving licence from a licence vendor.

They arrive from totally different components of the nation, together with Liverpool, Birmingham, North Yorkshire, Bradford and London.

In its assertion to the BBC, the Driver and Automobile Requirements Company warned members of the general public in opposition to making an attempt to accumulate licences illegally.

“The driving take a look at is there to ensure all drivers have the abilities and information to make use of the roads safely and responsibly; attempting to bypass it’s unlawful and a critical hazard to highway customers,” it mentioned.